Gas burner control device



Feb. 14, 1933. w. B. BASTIAN GAS BURNER CONTROL- DEVICE Filed Aug. 4,1930 W l l l V/LL/AM 5. EAST/AN,

Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application filedAugust 4, 1980. Serial No. 473,001.

My invention relates to gas burner control devices, and it isparticularly adapted for use as a safety device in connection with apilot lighted gas burner, the device operating to turn off the supply ofgas to the burner when the pilot is accidently extinguished.

While I am aware that devices for this purpose have been previouslyinvented, none of these has been practical for general employment inconnection with domestic and industrial automatic water heaters, onaccount of these devices being likely to get out of order.

It is an object of my invention to provide a gas burner control devicewhich is compact, self-contained, and having few parts, which performtheir functions with but slight movement, so that the device willoperate perfectly over long periods of time without any attention beinggiven to it.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects, as well as furtherobjects and advantages, will be made manifest in the folthe accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the gas system of athermostatically controlled water heater in which my invention isincorporated.

* Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken ona line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the valve of my invention in closedposition.

r Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the valve in openposition.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken on a line 4-4 ofFig. 2.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the gas system 10 shown in Fig. 1includes an incoming gas line 11; a burner control device 12, whichembodies my invention; a pipe 13; a thermostatically operated snapaction valve 14 (upon which I have filed co-pending application for U.S. Letters Patent, Serial N 0. 473,002, filed Aug. 4, 1930) ;a pipe 15and a combined cock and air mixer gas burner 16.

The burner control device 12 of my inven- 5 tion includes a casing 20,access to which is provided by a face plate 21 held on to the lowingdescription taken in connection with Fig. 1.

rovided in the casing 20, preferably at opposite points therein, are aninlet valve opening 28 and an outlet opening 29. Surrounding the inletopening 28 is an inlet valve body 30, formed integral with the casing20, and with which the pipe 11 connects. The valve body 30 has a chamber31 in the entrance to which a screen 32 is secured as by a ring 33.Disposed in the chamber 31 is a valve ball 35 which is larger than theopening 28 and which is urged into seating relation with said opening bya compression spring 36 disposed in said chamber 31.

Provided on a Wall 40 of the casing 20, opposite the face plate 21, isan aperture 41 which is in alignment with the apertured boss of the faceplate 21. Extending through said opening and into said aperture so as tobe journaled therein is a shaft 42, upon which is fixed a valvecontacting arm 45, which is adapted to be swung so that its lower endcontacts the ball 35 and moves this out of seating relation with theinlet opening 28. Disposed about the shaft 42 is a spring 46 which urgesthe arm out of valve contacting position.

Provided on the outer end of the shaft 42 is a handle 47 which isadapted to be engaged manually for a purpose to be described later.Provided on the valve contacting member 45 is a latch shoulder 48.

Screwed into a suitable opening in an upper wall 50 of the casing 20 isa tube 51 of a thermostat device 52, an expansion rod 53 of whichextends downwardly into the casing 20, and is bifurcated to provide legs54 between which a latch 55 is pivotally mounted ona pin 56. The latch55 has a hook at its upper end disposed adjacent to the latch shoulder48 of the member 45 and has a point 62 at its lower end which is adaptedto rest in a recess 63 formed in an upper surface of an adjusting screw64, which is threadedly received upwardly into the casing 20.

Disposed between the wall of the casing 20 and the latch 55 is acompression spring 66 which urges the latch 55 into latching relationwith the shoulder 48.

The pipe 13 connects with the outlet opening 29 of the casing 20 forconveying gas discharged therefrom through the thermostat 14 and thepipe 15 to the burner 16.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

In a normal operation of the heater with which the gas system 10 isincorporated, the parts of my burner control are disposed as shown inFig. 3. The gas constantly passes from supply pipe 11 into the casing 20and thence into the pilot burner 25, from which flame is constantlydirected against the upper end of the thermostat tube 51, which causesthis tube to expand and thus retain the relatively inexpansive rod 53 inan upward position.

Should the pilot burner 25 be extinguished when the burner is notlighted, as by a gust of wind or the temporary turning off of the supplyof gas in the gas mains, the tube 51 will cool off and with thecontraction of the tube 51 the rod 53 will be forced downwardly, withthe result that the point 62 of the latch 55 will be brought pressurablyagainst the screw 64, thus swinging the latch 55 into non engagingposition relative to the shoulder 48 of the valve contact member 45.This will release the valve contact member so that it will be swung bythe spring 46 into the position shown in Fig. 2, in which it releasesthe valve ball 35 permitting this to be seated in the opening 28 andstop the flow of gas to the system 10.

After the gas has been shut ofi, as above described, it is very easy tomanually reset the control device 12 by manually rotating the shaft 42with the handle 47 so as to open the valve 35 and permit gas to flowtherethrough and out at the mouth of the pilot burner 25.

This is then ignited with a match. While the valve 35 is held open bythe hand engaging the lever 47, the flame from the pilot burner 25quickly heats up the thermostat tube 51, which raises the rod 53 andpermits the spring 66 to swing the latch 55 over the shoulder 48, whichholds the valve 35 in open position when the hand is removed from thelever 47 It is thus seen that I have provided a very compact burnercontrol device, having few parts, of inexpensive and simpleconstruction, which will operate satisfactorily over a long period oftime without expert attention, and which, therefore, offers a maximumvalue as a safety device.

While I have shown and described a single embodiment of my invention, itis to be understood that various changes and modifications may be madein this without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scopeof my claims.

What I claim is:

1. in a gas burner control device the combination of: a casing; a valvecontact member pivotally mounted therein, there being gas inlet andoutlet openings in said casing; an inlet valve controlling said inletopening and adapted to be contacted and held open by said valve contactmember; spring means for urging said contact member away from saidvalve; manual means for actuating said contact member from the outsideof said casing; means for yieldably urging said valve into closedposition; a latch for holding said valve contact member against saidvalve to hold the latter in open position; and a thermostat supportingsaid latch and acting directly thereon for disengaging same from saidvalve contact member upon a predetermined change of temperature of saidthermostat taking place.

2. A combination, as in claim 1, in which means are provided formanually determining from the outside of said casing the temperature atwhich said thermostat withdraws said latch from contact with said valvecontact member.

3. In a burner control device the combination of: a casing, there beinginlet and outlet openings on opposite sides thereof; a valve in saidinlet opening having means yieldably urging it into seated position; avalve contact member pivotally mounted in an upper portion of saidcasing and adapted to swing into contact with said valve to open thesame; yieldable means for urging said contact member out of contact withsaid valve; latch means in said casing for holding said contact memberin valve opening position; yieldable means for urging said latch intolatching position with said valve contact member; a thermostat forforcing said latch out of latching relation with said valve contactmember; and means for manually swinging said valve contact member toopen said valve after said member has been released by said latch.

4. In a burner control device the combination of: a casing, there beinginlet and outlet openings therein; a valve in said inlet opening; avalve contact member for opening said valve, pivotally mounted in saidcasing; an adjustment screw in said casing extending upwardly into saidcasing; a latch fulcrumed on said screw and adapted to hold said contactmember in position to open said valve; a thermostatic element. includinga tube and a rod enclosed therein which extends into said casing, thelower end of said rod being bifurcated to provide legs extending onopposite sides of said latch; a pin extending through said legs and saidlatch out of alignment with the point of contact of said latch with saidscrew; means for urging said latch into latching position relative tosaid contact member; and manual means for swinging said contact memberto reopen said valve when said member has been disengaged by said latch.

5. In a burner control device the combination of: a casing, providing agas tight chamber, there being inlet and outlet openings therein; avalve controlling said inlet opening; valve opening means provided insaid casing; latch means in said casing; means for yieldably urging saidlatch means to engage said valve opening means and hold the latter invalve opening position; thermostatic means provided on said casing andextending into said chamber to disengage said latch means from saidvalve opening means upon a certain change in temperature taking place;yieldable means for urging said valve opening means out of valve openingposition when released from said latch; and means for manually movingsaid valve opening means into valve opening position from outside ofsaid casing.

6. In a burner control device the combination of: a casing, providing agas tight chamber, there being inlet and outlet openings therein; avalve controlling said inlet opening; a valve opening means provided insaid casing; latch means in said casing; means for yieldably urging saidlatch means to engage said valve opening means and hold the latter invalve opening position; a thermostat, including a tube mounted in saidcasing, communicating with said chamber and with its outer end sealed,and a rod fixed at one end to said tube and extending therethrough intosaid chamber, said rod being bifurcated to straddle said latch, andpivotally connected to said latch to disengage said latch means fromsaid valve opening means upon a certain change in temperature takingplace; yieldable means for urging said valve opening means out of valveopening position when released from said latch; and means for manuallymoving said valve opening means into valve opening position from outsideof said casing.

7. combination, as in claim 5, in which an ad ustable screw fulcrum isthreadedly recelved in a suitable opening provided in said casmg, toengage said latch, said fulcrum be ng manually adjustable from outsideof said casing to determine the temperature at which said latch isdisengaged from said valve opening means.

8. A combination, as in claim 6, in which an adjustable screw fulcrum isthreadedly received in a suitable opening provided in said casmg, toengage said latch, said fulcrum bemg manually adjustable from outside ofsaid casmg to determine the temperature at which said latch isdisengaged from said valve open- 1n" means.

in testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at lendale, California,this 24th day of July, 1930.

WILLIAM B. BASTIAN.

